Interviewing strangers over a meal since 2008 (as featured in the Washington Post)
I could almost cut-and-paste a blog post on this topic from last year, but the fantastic Creole restaurant Brigtsen’s in New Orleans has once again been nominated for a James Beard Foundation award. For 2020 the venue is up for the Outstanding Hospitality award, and after several visits to the…
Here’s the 128th dinner with a stranger! A few weeks ago I met Monika Pickett for an evening meal at Neramitra Thai Cuisine in Arlington, Virginia. The main topic of our conversation was her decision to try writing erotic lesbian fiction novels, but after spending more than an our with…
The 50th Throwback Thursday is my August 2013 lunch with Josh and Natalie Harvey at Coquette New Orleans. We talked about their t-shirt company Storyville, launched in 2009 featuring a host of city-specific designs. The company was in business for roughly 10 years, but rising rent and slowing sales led…
Sampson McCormick, a DC-born comedian featured as the 124th dinner with a stranger, is returning to his home city next month for several gigs at the Comedy Loft. He’ll be performing on Thursday March 5 at 7.30pm, on Friday March 6 at 8pm and 10pm, and on Saturday March 7…
Expect the first of three upcoming interviews next week! For today, Throwback Thursday 49 is my August 2013 dinner with New Orleans food critic Tom Fitzmorris at the upscale restaurant Tommy’s Cuisine in the Central Business District. Tom, born and raised in the city, hosts a daily food show on…
Several interviews are in the works (I’m transcribing the 128th dinner and have two lined up for my trip to Atlanta this weekend) so come back soon to read those. In the meantime, here’s the 48th Throwback Thursday feature. In February 2013 I traveled to New York to meet goth…
The first dinner interview with a stranger this year is with Charles Cecil, the co-founder of British software company Revolution Games. They specialize in adventure games, including the globally popular Broken Sword series and Beneath a Steel Sky, among other titles. I met Charles earlier this month in York, England, where he lives…
The 47th Throwback Thursday interview was a joy: January 2013 dinner in London with Lorraine Bowen, also known as the Crumble Lady from Britain’s Got Talent. I met Lorraine two years before she was on the show, and at our meal she told me about her long, quirky musical career…
Do you live in Atlanta? Want to be interviewed for Dining With Strangers? Get in touch! I’ll be in the city from Friday February 14 through Monday February 17 for a holiday. I’ve already lined up meals with a couple of strangers but I currently still have time for another…
The 46th Throwback Thursday is breakfast with Katelan Foisy, a visual artist known as La Gitana: Mistress of Magic. We met in October 2012 at the since-shuttered Cosmopolitan Cafe in New York to talk about her creative work. She told me about her move to the Big Apple and how…